All

I think it might be the use of AI. A lot of people hate it, me included.

"The Bentonville of Mountain Bike Media"

Hmm, well for me personally I can't think of any complex things that excite me be it electronic suspension, electronic drivetrain/dropper, high pivots, gearbox, etc. Although I absolutely want all the innovation and experimenting for the industry as a whole, as a buyer I just look at dudes like Asa and Jackson winning on what look like fairly stock / simple bikes (yes, I know they are tuned to their absolute MAX with the assistance of technology). So as an 'average' customer ( see; BMXer who still doesn't know shit about MTB ) I am excited about brands offering builds/configs...

Can confirm this is real. You think the guy at Avalanche suspension is "interesting", Howard Messner was on another level of insane. Ohlins actually cut ties with him for abusing customers pretty much. Sadly he died in 2022 but that man turned shitbox harley davidsons into bikes that were less shit that's for sure. A true suspension genius. I was his first Australian customer approx 15 years ago, I had to talk to him for weeks to persuade him I wasn't a nigerian scammer lol. I had to go to my local library and use the fax machine to place...

I guess this is what happens when a company that hasn't done much marketing over the years starts doing some.. Let me guess, they hired a marketing person and they are pulling a Cracker Barrel deal..

The head of YT USA was incredibly naive to consider they could keep going somehow, and did his employees a disservice by telling them to stick with him, instead of jumping ship at the earliest possible opportunity. I hope none missed out of job opportunities because yet again, a naive CEO couldn't see the freight train coming for them while they're stuck on the tracks.

anyone with a security clearance knows better than to do / say anything that could even be perceived as an intel risk.

Shimano's latest for their first 9 months compared to same period last year (Bicycle Division) *Sales up 5% *Operating income down 27% * Net profit (overall company) thus far is down 61% y/y. Commentary They are cautious on changes in trade policies around the world and "rising geopolitical risks" caused by prolonged international conflicts. They also cite a US economy that is showing signs of deceleration amid the "cooling sentiment due to rising prices stemming from tariff hikes and a slowdown in the labor market". With respect to bikes, specifically, they are noting "While the strong interest in bicycles continued...

Milyard racing or Hover shock. What would win?

is this a tax shelter thing? Opening a MTB shop in 2025 is bananas! To play along I’ll say Guardian, Guardian, and Guardian. Corrupt billionaires aka billionaires are into it!

Transition - big fan of bikes and company. Trek - my preference of the big 3. Probably just carry limited numbers of USA made frames beyond that. Basically cool stuff for bike enthusiasts to look at while they wait for the service counter. Would have very few floor models. Just a bit of whatever is new and some sizes for fitting purposes. Most the shop space would be geared towards parts, accessories, and clothes. Loads of shoes in diffirent colors and sizes. Same with pads and helmets. Wall of grips, seats, handlebars, etc. store credit trade ins where we will...

The 'estimated' revenue numbers posted were pretty hilarious. Reminds me of that one time, I got cornered in Andorra World Cup while eating breakfast, by a certain top american DH guy's agent/mentor/preacher...I was in a contract negotiation with said rider during my time for a gear brand I worked for in that moment, dude says "listen man, we're just trying to get ____ his share of the billions you guys are making".....I literally spit out my Muesli while laughing. So yeah, estimates....funny.

I have a real hard time believing AI is going to result in some sort of utopia for the masses. There's enough money right now that we could all get some level of UBI and be working less and spending more time on our passion projects. But when have the ultra wealthy EVER wanted to part with even a little bit more of their money? If we just give them a few more tax breaks to pay for their data centers and help subsidize the cost of the electricity and water to run them so they can become trillionaires, THEN...